The label thing is state-based. Some states allow the child to keep the label of DD up to 3rd (?) grade. This is a new wrinkle. Until this year, all states had to give one of the IDEA labels by kindergarten. In some states, that is still the case. In NY, it BEHOOVES the child to have a label of autism since there are autism guarantees in our regs.
I think that the person at the SD who doesn't want placement discussed is trying to make SURE the IEP Team makes that determination as a group and there is nothing done ahead of time about that. However, you SHOULD be able to visit the possible placements ahead of time. YOu should never be in a position of approving a placment you have not seen when there's a change. Of course, you don't have to see each classroom each year, but when placment is changing (as opposed to simply moving up a grade), it's critical that the decision-makers SEE the placement. And YOU are one of the MAIN decision-makers.
Congrats on sticking to your guns! Let us know how it goes.
I just got off the phone with the director of ESE services in my son's school dist. We have a MRT meeting(I think that is what it is called) coming up on May 8th. The psyc. tests are done. I am wanting to JUST sit down with the psyc. prior to the big meeting in May.
Honestly...she is acting like I am crazy for wanting this and said nobody has ever asked for such a meeting prior to the official meeting. She went on to tell that there is no need for this b/c the psyc. will go over everything at the meeting, and that the team needs to hear all the results. That I can understand....But, don't I have the right to just speak with him privately? I am going to have to take in alot as it is on that day, they will also be talking about changing his label and having to make decisions of where to place him next year.
What do you think?
Request a copy of the report from them - you have a right to that BEFORE the meeting and also request a over the phone meeting w/ the school psych...I would go around the ESE director to talk to the psych personally...the ESE director (or is it really the school chair) should KNOW BETTER after explaining that you have a lot on your plate that day. I would request a copy of the report too. I talked to the school psych today and she is going to do an IQ test and then we are going to get together and this is before the official IEP meeting, and we're in FL too, so I don't think it an odd request at all. It was actually her suggestion. Sounds like your psych just doesn't want to take the time.If this meeting is only a MRT, you should be fine. Just make sure, they don't want to do the IEP at the same time. They tried to pull this on us. To their inconvenience, they had to re-schedule the IEP until I had enough time to study the evaluation results.
Even better, request copies of the evaluation reports prior to the meeting and compare them with any 3rd party evaluations you have (get some if you don't have any). If they want to change the label based on their evaluations, you can then counteract with whatever evaluation you have. The meeting date of 5-8 should also give you enough time to gather more documentations.
Good Luck.
mgh
Ok.. here is the update. She called me right back b/c I really stuck to my guns about wanting to meet with him. She called me back not 10 mins. later and said I could meet w/ him and asked if I would mind if she attended. When I asked why she felt she needed to be there her reply was that this is the first year that this psyc. is with the school dist. and she wants to make sure that we or the psyc. mention nothing about and kind of placement for next year, she only wants that discussed at the meeting?
I agreed. What is this all about and what would you have done. It looks like this was going to be the only way I coupld meet with the psyc. I am beginning to think she doesn't care to much for me.Also.... Ryan's label has been developmentally delayed since he was 3yr. According to their guidlines he can no longer carry that label after turning 6yr which he is now. Is this correct?Can't tell you about the label, but I just wanted to say that I call the
school psychologist quite frequently for questions. We have talked for up
to two hours on the phone. It never occured to me that I had to get
permission for that. I guess it all depends on the district.
As a matter of fact we have another student team meeting next week and
I planned to call her Monday to have her catch me up on test she did and
the results. It helps me prepare for the meetings. I mean after all
everyone should be on the same side here (the kid's best interest) so how
could they object.
I don't know about the label either.
But, I just talked to our psych yesterday too for 40 minutes on the phone and was told if I felt I needed anything else at all or had questions to feel free to call anytime. Also if they could legitimately support any dx's for LD's or other dx there would be no problem adding corroborating addendums for applications for specific programs/services.
I received our report with a face to face explanation in January. Last week we had our IEP meeting and I was glad I had some time to research the report results and figure out what was missing and what we should be entitled to. So, I also wouldn't do the IEP the same time.
That being said I don't know how many parents actually perservere to get services. Our teacher had IEP appt's set for 4 students (individually) in the class and I'm the only parent who showed up. So perhaps, it's your interest that's unexpected to them.
In Florida once they reach 6 years old they can't be dev. delayed...Payne is Otherwise Health Impaired until I can get it switched to autistic. Yes that's correct about the label, I'm in Florida too. The school told me that and that is why they are really pushing me for the DX so they can put them in an approprate placement. They tell me though it has to come from an MD, not a PHD, so a DX from a psych doesn't count unless he is also an MD. So hopefully we'll have that soon from a dev pedi. But that is what they told me.I'm in IL and here the developmental delay label "expires" as well at age 6. C turned 6 this past Feb. His reeval was kicked off right after Christmas and they spent 6 weeks administering tests. We me a few days prior to his b-day and we reviewed all of the results and his label was changed to "educational autism."
The school has never asked me for a medical dx, it has never even been brought up.
C was given 10 different tests. I'm glad I asked for the results prior to the meeting even though I couldn't really interpret them. It gave me a chance to look up each test on the internet and educate myself on what exactly was being tested with each one. It made it much easier to follow when they did go through the results. We also participated in a few of the tests (I had to fill out a GARS form and was interviewed by the school social worker for a case history and the Vineland.)